ST. LOUIS — Police are investigating after an early morning argument over food in a St. Louis supermarket ended in a double shooting and fiery car crash.
The incident began after 1 a.m. at Northway Supermarket on 5590 W. Florissant Avenue. According to a police report, a 36-year-old woman got into an argument with an employee over food availability. When she was denied her order, she pulled out a gun and waved it at an employee and then fired it at another. Neither employee was struck.
She and another woman who was with her took money from the hand of a man who was in the store. The two women ran outside, got into a car with another man and drove off. Two girls, ages 8 and 11, were also in the car.
That's when police said the suspects became the victims. A dark gray sedan followed them out of the lot and shot at them, striking the man and one of the women. Their car crashed near Mimika and Theodore, wedging between a fence and a tree, and burst into flames. All five people were able to escape from the car.
First responders arrived and treated everyone at the scene. The woman who fired the gun at a store employee was taken into custody. The other two suspects were taken to the hospital for treatment of their gunshot wounds. The woman, 27, had been grazed in the head and the man, 37, was struck in the arm. Police didn't have an update on their conditions Monday morning but said their vitals were stable.
The two girls were not hurt.
It was unclear who was in the gray sedan that fired the shots and how they may have been involved with the victims. An investigation is ongoing.
Resources for crime victims:
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
Better Family Life is a nonprofit community development organization working to “stabilize inner-city neighborhoods.” One aspect of its mission is a gun violence de-escalation program.
To learn more, call 314-381-8200 or visit https://www.betterfamilylife.org/
Life Outside of Violence “helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence.”
To learn more, call 314-327-6697 or email: ProjectLOV@WUSTL.edu
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has an anti-crime program called “Safety Net for Youth Initiative,” which is a joint partnership between and Saint Louis Public Schools to provide services to at-risk youth.
To learn more, visit https://www.ulstl.com/anti-crime-initiative.html
Cure Violence is an international organization that has recently launched in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to deescalate violent situations within their own communities. To learn more, visit https://cvg.org/